Valarie Gallegos and her son,
18-year-old Milton Chatman, for
defrauding him regarding the
sale of a car.
>> Byrd: Order! All rise!
Quiet in the courtroom.
This is case number 7 on the
calendar in the matter of
Rodgers vs. Gallegos-Chatman.
>> Judge Judy: Thank you.
>> Byrd: You're welcome, Judge.
Parties have been sworn in.
You may be seated.
Sir, have a seat.
>> Judge Judy: Mr. Rodgers, you
saw a car advertised on
Craigslist?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And it was a
non-running car.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: 2007 Hyundai
Sonata.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you purchased
it from the defendants for $500.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: According to you,
you towed it...
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: ...because you do
mechanical work.
>> Yes, ma'am.
I've been doing it for 30 years.
>> Judge Judy: And you figured
that you could put it back into
working condition and it would
be fine.
Was the body good on it?
>> All except for a scape on the
passenger side.
>> Judge Judy: But everything
else looked okay.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And you paid them
the $500.
And according to you, which one
of the defendants told you that
they would get you the title in
a week, it was with a family
member?
>> They both were on that
promissory note.
Both of them said the same
thing.
>> Judge Judy: Both of them.
>> Valarie actually said it
first, but he was --
>> Judge Judy: Valarie, your
last name is?
>> Gallegos.
>> Judge Judy: Ms. Gallegos,
whose car is it?
>> It's my son's.
>> Judge Judy: And where did you
get it from?
>> My cousin.
>> Judge Judy: When did you get
it from your cousin?
>> I honestly don't remember.
>> Judge Judy: How much before
you sold it?
>> Uh, how much?
>> Judge Judy: Yeah.
>> My mom bought it for three
grand, and she gave it to me.
>> Judge Judy: Your mother
bought it for $3,000.
When did you purchase it?
>> Around March of -- '16,
'15 -- '14.
>> Judge Judy: So, you drove the
car until it stopped running?
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And when did it
stop running?
>> About the 24th of...
>> February.
>> ...February.
>> Judge Judy: So, from March
2014 until February of 2016, you
drove the car.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: And it was
insured.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: In whose name?
>> In my name.
>> Judge Judy: So the car had to
be registered.
>> Yes.
>> Judge Judy: In whose name?
>> It was --
>> Judge Judy: Don't look down.
You've been looking at me square
in the eye.
In whose name was it registered?
>> It was registered in my
cousin's name still.
>> Judge Judy: Why was it
registered in your cousin's name
if your mother bought it from
your cousin for $3,000?
Why was it still in cousin's
name?
>> Because he got it in the
divorce, but he was unaware that
his wife had to sign the papers
over for him to have full
ownership of the car.
[ Light laughter ]
>> Judge Judy: Now, there isn't
a question in my mind that this
is the first time that he's
hearing about your cousin's
divorce and the community
property.
You told him about your cousin's
divorce?
>> Yes.
>> I did.
>> Judge Judy: What did they
tell you?
>> When I showed up to purchase
the car -- I seen the car
advertised on Craigslist.
>> Judge Judy: No, no.
Don't go back to the beginning.
>> Okay.
>> Judge Judy: I've already been
at the beginning.
>> Sorry.
>> Judge Judy: I want to know
whether Ms. Gallegos told you
that she didn't have the title
to the car because it was in her
cousin's name and his ex-wife.
>> Exactly what she told me was
the car belonged to her and him,
it was given to her by her
cousin, and she would have the
title for me within a week.
She did not go into a story,
telling me about anything else.
>> Judge Judy: No way, 'cause
you wouldn't have given her a
penny for the car 'cause I
wouldn't have given her a penny
for the car 'cause I know that I
would never get the ex-wife to
sign over that title.
>> Right.
>> Judge Judy: So, what you were
doing -- you were driving the
car with your cousin's
permission, knowing full well
that you were not the owner of
the car.
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: And if you
weren't the owner of the car,
you had no right to sell it.
How old are you?
>> 18.
>> Judge Judy: Yeah.
Then you had no right to sell
it.
You're an adult.
Were you 18 when you sold him
the car?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: Well, then it's
your problem.
Now, the only question is, he's
not suing for the $500 back
because he says when he got the
car, he immediately started to
work on it and he put in a lot
of work.
Is the car now running?
>> Yes, ma'am, fully repaired.
>> Judge Judy: It is running?
>> Yes, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy: When you say it's
running -- How far do you live
from them?
>> Approximately 5, 10 miles.
>> Judge Judy: So, it's running
so that you can drive it to
their house.
>> Of course.
>> Judge Judy: Great.
Now, I want to see the bills,
what you put into the car.
>> Yes, ma'am.